


Captain's Orders

by Northern_Lady



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Family Feels, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, military experiment, sad stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 16:56:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10598229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Northern_Lady/pseuds/Northern_Lady
Summary: Captain Roger's daughter arrives unexpectedly. Steve didn't know he had a daughter. She's seven years old and has lived her short life on a military base as part of a military experiment.





	

The knock on Steve’s door woke him from where he had fallen asleep watching TV in his living room. It wasn’t all that late at night, he’d simply gotten bored with the movie. The knock sounded again and Steve got up and went to the door. 

Two men in military uniforms stood outside his door and with them was a little girl. “Captain Rogers?” The taller of the two men, wearing a Major insignia himself spoke first. 

“Yes, what can I do for you sirs?” Steve asked. It was very strange that they would come to his door like this if it were a military matter. 

“I am Major Howard, arriving at twenty two hundred hours just as stated in my correspondence. Are you prepared for the transfer of care?” Major Howard said, very formally. 

“What correspondence?” Steve glanced over at the stack of mail on his kitchen table. There had been a letter from the military earlier in the week but he hadn’t opened it. He hadn’t opened much of anything for several days. The Avengers had been keeping him pretty busy. 

“If you have a letter from the army, you best read it now,” The other soldier spoke up, less formally. 

Steve went to his table, rifled through the mail and found the letter. He opened it and read while the two men and the child waited outside his open door. He scanned down past the formal greetings and addresses and began to read, 

_Captain Steve Rogers,  
This correspondence is to inform you of your unwitting participation in the Super Soldier Phase 2 Program and of your orders in relation to this program. The SSP2 program was commissioned January 17, 2003. Using your genetic materials that had been in storage since the original program, the United States army created a child by means of artificial insemination in a volunteer surrogate mother. This child, designated Anna Rogers, is genetically compatible with the original serum, which was recreated in 2002. The need for a genetic match was an important phase of the program. Anna Rogers was injected with the serum at four years of age and was successfully integrated into the program. _

_Due to a lack of funding and a congressional mandate, the SSP2 Program has been officially shut down as of the end of this month. With the termination of the program, Anna Rogers can not be integrated into normal society. Her caregivers were military personnel assigned to her care and those personnel can no longer care for her if the program does not exist. Anna would not be well suited for adoption or foster care due to her great strength. Therefore, as you are biologically her father, and as you are able to withstand her enhanced strength should she become rebellious or violent, Anna is being transferred to your care. This is not a request. Official orders for the transfer of care will arrive along with Anna Rogers on Friday March 23 at 2200 hours. Major Gary Howard will complete the transfer._

_Enclosed is a check with the last of the funds from the program intended for the care of Anna Rogers. These funds may be spent on food, clothing, education, housing or medical needs._

The letter was signed by a lower ranking administrative assistant. Steve checked the envelope and found a check for twenty five thousand dollars. He was overwhelmed. Angry, confused, concerned all once, but he pushed it aside and returned to the front door. 

Major Howard was still there waiting as was the other soldier who hadn’t been introduced. “I’m Captain Davis,” The other man said, passing Steve a manila envelope.”You’ll want this, It has your orders and her birth certificate and other records. And here are her things.” Davis held up a single suitcase. 

Steve took both items and carried them inside. He knew he should invite the soldiers inside but he was just too angry to be that polite. He went back to the door and for the first time took a look at the little girl. She was maybe seven or eight years old, wearing jeans and a blue sweater. Her long curly blond hair was pulled into a ponytail and she honestly looked quite terrified. Of course she was terrified. 

“So that’s it? She doesn’t get to visit a few times before you leave her here?” Steve said, barely holding back his anger that they would abandon a child like this. 

“I agree with you Sir,” Captain Davis said, “A slower transition would be better.” 

“Yes, but our facility is located across the country on the west coast,” Major Howard spoke up. “Our superiors decided that the last of the funds would be better spent on her care than on multiple trips across the country. We’ve explained everything to her. She’s a good little soldier. She’ll do just fine.” Howard turned and saluted the girl and walked away. 

Davis was a little more reluctant to leave. “I’m sorry…” He said to Steve. “But orders are orders.” 

Steve nodded, understanding but still furious about the whole thing. Anna watched the two men walk away with a quiver in her jaw. Her hands were shaking too but she didn’t cry. She turned to Steve and looked up at him, waiting to see what he would do. 

“You wanna come in?” He asked her. 

Without a word she walked into his apartment, stopped just a few feet from the door and took a look around. There was nothing particularly inviting about his apartment to a child. Most everything was neat and orderly and very plain. Anna stood there, hands clasped behind her back, looking very tired and frightened. Finally she spoke. 

“What are my orders sir?” She said. 

“Orders? There are no orders,” He said, a little confused. “It’s late, I suppose it’s time for bed. Since you’re smaller than I am you can sleep on the couch. You have some pajamas in this suitcase?” 

“Yes Sir.” She nodded but didn’t move. 

Steve realized she was still waiting for orders to go and get them. He felt sick. She had been raised to be a soldier and not to be a child. “Well, go ahead and get them.” He said and she moved to open her suitcase. She got out the pajamas and looked around the room a little timidly. 

“You can change in the bedroom,” He said. 

A few minutes later she was changed and came back out into the living room wearing flannel pajamas. She honestly still looked terrified but she was trying to be brave about it. Steve sighed and sat down at the end of the couch where he would be closer to her eye level. 

“You know who I am, right Anna?” He asked her. 

She nodded. “They told me you were my father.” 

“That’s what they told me too. I guess you’re probably pretty scared right now?” 

She nodded, tears forming in her eyes. “Yes sir,” she whispered. 

“How old are you Anna?” Steve asked her. 

“I am seven, sir.” 

“And did you live in the same place your entire life? Someplace in California?” 

“Yes, it was a base. I had a bunk there like the other soldiers.” She told him. 

Over the next few minutes Steve was able to gather most of her story. Anna had been raised on a military base. She attended school with some of the children of soldiers stationed there. Her life was very well organized and regimented. Her caregivers worked in shifts and she’d had many caregivers over the years. Her caregivers had been kind to her, helped her with homework and made sure she was fed and safe she claimed. From the sounds of things, many of the people who worked with her had only known her briefly and were often assigned somewhere else after a few months. In her words, this was the first time she had been reassigned anywhere at all. 

“So if that’s what this is, a reassignment, what are your orders here?” Steve asked her, more than a little concerned about how she had been raised thus far. 

“I don’t know. I haven’t recieved them yet sir.” Anna said, a little anxious. She was clearly waiting for orders from him. That’s what she believed was happening. 

“Well, the only thing you need to do right now is get some rest. Did you eat on the plane?” He asked her. 

“I did sir.” 

“If you have a toothbrush in that suitcase, you can brush your teeth and I’ll find an extra blanket.” He told her. She immediately set to work getting out her toothbrush and brushing her teeth. He was pretty sure she was counting for a full three minutes while she brushed. By the time Anna emerged from the bathroom she looked exhausted as well as frightened. 

“What now sir?” 

“At ease…” He told her gently and her stance relaxed just a little. “Anna this isn’t a military base. This is a home. You don’t have to be ready to take orders anymore. You must have watched TV and seen what it’s like in homes where people don’t take orders or have assignments, right?” 

“Yes sir. The other kids in school had homes,” She said a little sadly. “Their Dads were soldiers, or sometimes their Moms were soldiers, but they didn’t have to sleep in the bunk room or eat in the mess hall. They lived in a house and when their Dads dropped them off at school in the morning they got to have hugs.” 

“You didn’t get to have hugs?” Steve said, picking up on how sad she was about that. 

“A few times I did from the other kids or from one of my carers when they left to get reassigned.” Anna told him, 

There was so much pain in what she didn’t say, so much emotion that it was an effort for Steve to brush it aside like he often could with other things that he found disturbing. Anna had never had a family, never had a home, never had the stability of knowing that someone cared for her and was going to stay with her permanently. She’d lived a lonely life and had watched other children have something that she couldn’t have, a home and a family. 

Steve swallowed the lump in his throat. In spite of how angry he was that someone had created his child without his consent, she was still his child. She had the same blue eyes, the same light blonde hair he’d had when he was a child before it darkened as he grew older. He wouldn’t have needed orders from a commanding officer to be willing to take care of her. If he had known about her he would have done so voluntarily. She was family and she was just a child. She needed him because she didn’t have anyone else. 

“No one is getting reassigned anymore after this,” Steve told her. “Neither one of us. You get to have a home now too, just like the other kids.” 

“But what if General Peterson changes his mind?” She said, biting her lip in an effort not to cry. 

“General Peterson? Does he run the program?” Steve made a guess. 

“Yes sir, he does. He said he would take me back if he could get the funding. If he gets enough money, I’ll have to go back.” 

Steve felt sick but he knew her words rang true. He went to the table and opened the envelope Captain Davis had given him to look at the official orders for himself. Sure enough, Anna was right. Anna Rogers was a ward of the United States Military and as such could be recalled to service at any time. However, Steve was assigned with her care until she reached the age of eighteen. He would receive a monthly pension for her care and was expected to see to her education and general well being. If the program reopened before she reached the age of eighteen, Steve was given the option of requesting to be assigned as her carer on the base in California, but there were no guarantees he would be granted the assignment.

“It says here that if you have to go back, I get to go with you.” Steve told her. It wasn’t entirely true but he couldn’t tell her the truth. He just couldn’t. 

“Really?” She said, sounding just a little bit hopeful. 

“Really.” He said, going back to sit down at the end of the couch where she was at his level again. “So you don’t have to be worried about being sent someplace new or having the people you know sent away. I’m gonna stay with you from now on, okay?” 

Anna nodded, a few tears spilling out for the first time all evening. She moved and took the blanket from the end of the couch, unfolded it, wrapped it around herself and climbed onto the couch. She curled up at one end and pulled the blanket right up over her head to cover her face. In spite of her attempts to hide, Steve knew she was crying under there. The blanket shook with her silent sobs. He reached over and put a hand on her shoulder, not sure what else to do or say. Her small hand reached out of the fold of the blanket and clung tightly to his hand. Steve held onto the little girl’s hand until she cried herself to sleep. 

************************

Steve couldn’t sleep that night. He was too angry to sleep. Angry that the SSP2 program even existed and that Anna had suffered the way she had as a result of it. Instead of sleeping he found himself reading through all the paperwork Captain Davis had given him and alternately watching Anna sleep. Steve finally dozed off in a recliner sometime around 3AM. He awoke at 6:15 AM to the sound of Anna flushing the toilet. She emerged from the bathroom still looking as timid as ever. She glanced at him for only a moment and then ran for the couch to hide under her blanket again. 

“You don’t have to hide under there.” He told her gently. “It’s okay to cry.” 

Anna sniffled. “Sergeant Walters says good soldiers don’t cry.” 

“You don’t have to be a soldier Anna.” Steve told her, biting back his anger at the things Sergeant Walters and all the other people on that base must have told her. “While you live here, all you have to be is a kid.” 

She peeked out from the blanket. “Captain Davis told me you would be nice to me. I thought he was just trying to make me feel better...I didn’t know it was true…” She sniffled. 

“It was true,” Steve agreed. “I will be nice to you.” 

“Will you you yell at me sometimes? Sergeant Walters did lots of shouting. I think the shouting made him happy but it didn’t make me happy.” Anna said worriedly. 

“No, I won’t yell at you. I’ve never been much for shouting at people.” Steve told her honestly. “Did anyone else yell at you?” 

“No. Everyone was nice to me. Sergeant Walters shouted at everyone. That was his job. I don’t think he was trying to be mean.” Anna said, pulling the blanket back over her head. 

Steve got to his feet to go get dressed and start breakfast. When he came out of the bathroom he found Anna was curled up on his couch hidden under her blanket and just sobbing in earnest. These were no longer stoic silent tears, this was the distraught weeping of a scared and lonely little girl. Unsure what else to do, Steve crossed the room and sat down at the end of the couch to hold her hand like he had done the previous night. He put his hand on her shoulder and she clung to his hand tightly with both of hers. 

“How can I help Anna?” Steve asked her. “Are you crying because you’re scared?” 

“Yes...I am very scared...I want to go home...can I please go home? I promise I’ll be good and follow all my orders...I want to go home…” 

“Anna…” Steve began, doing his best to ignore the lump in his throat. “I can’t bring you back there, but maybe you’d like to have a hug?” He offered, remembering what she had said about hugs the night before. 

She peeked out of the blanket she had cocooned herself in and looked it him as if to see if he really meant it. She seemed to realize that the offer was genuine and she gasped and threw off her blanket. Next thing he knew Anna was crawling across the couch and onto his lap. He put his arms around her and she curled herself against him as if she were trying to hide her whole body in his embrace. Her fists clung so tightly to his shirt that he knew she wasn’t going to be letting go of him any time soon. Steve was okay with that. It was such a small and easy thing to give this kid a hug so if that was what she needed he was willing to sit with her for as long as it took. 

Steve wasn’t really aware of how long it took for Anna to stop crying. Her face was buried against his chest and his shirt was wet with her tears. Her sobs had ended, her breathing was more relaxed but she still clung to him so tightly that her knuckles were white with the effort. He moved just a little to sit more comfortably and it seemed like her grip on his shirt got even tighter. 

“Don’t go…” Anna pled timidly. “Don’t go Daddy...please don’t go.” 

At that, the emotion he had been trying to ignore since the moment she arrived could no longer be stifled below the surface. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving.” He told her as he wiped the moisture from the corner of his eye and tried to pretend it wasn’t there. 

“Don’t go…” She murmured again. 

“I am not leaving you,” Steve told her firmly, knowing that this went far deeper than her not wanting to end the hug. “I don’t care what General Peterson tells me to do. I am not leaving you no matter what my orders are, do you understand?” 

Anna gasped and pulled away from him just enough to look at him. “You would disobey orders for me?” 

“I would,” He said without hesitation. 

Anna’s eyes got even bigger at those words. “You love me?” 

Of course she was right. From her perspective the only reason to ever disobey orders was for someone you love. And Steve knew that he would not have been so willing to promise such a thing if he didn’t love her. Sure, he had only met her yesterday but he had heard so many other parents say they had loved their child from the moment they were born. This was hardly any different. 

“Yes Anna, I love you and I’m not leaving you.” He told her. Anna breathed a sigh of relief and fell back against his chest, relaxed, no longer clinging to him, just...safe.

“I love you too Daddy,” She whispered, contentedly. 

He sat with her a little longer until he started to get hungry. Anna giggled at the sound of his stomach growling and they got up so Steve could make breakfast. 

**************************

Late that morning Steve was preparing to go to the Avengers Tower for work. Anna had eaten breakfast, changed her clothes, and combed her hair. She sat on the floor tying her shoes while he packed a lunch for the both of them. Steve glanced over at her and saw her watching him with a look of adoration. Her hair was in her eyes. Steve supposed he should do something to help her with that. He attempted a braid twice but with all her curls it came out looking lumpy. 

Steve picked up his phone and called Natasha. “Nat, can you drop by my place on your way to work?” 

“Sure, what’s up?” 

“It’s kind of complicated to explain. Just, I could use a little help with something.” Steve said. 

Half an hour later Steve heard Nat coming down the hall of his apartment building. He had the letter from the army in his hand and he met her outside the door. 

“What’s with the mysterious phone call and now meeting me outside your door?” She asked him. 

“I got this earlier this week. Didn’t open it until last night.” He handed her the letter. 

Nat read the letter quickly and then looked up at him in shock. “Oh my god. So you have a daughter? Is she here?” 

“She’s here. Come in and meet her.” 

Anna was sitting at the kitchen table drawing when Nat came inside. 

“Anna this is a friend of mine, Natasha,” Steve told her. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Anna said shyly. Her blonde curls were flying everywhere. 

“Nice to meet you too.” Natasha said and then turned to Steve. “She’s adorable. Is she coming with you to work today?” 

“She’ll have to. It’s summer and I don’t have anyone else to watch her. The thing is, before we go, her hair...I don’t…” 

Natasha smiled, amused at the situation. “Yes, I’ll do her hair, But you’re going to have to learn how.” 

After Nat had succeeded in taming Anna’s wild hair, the three of them set off for the subway. They arrived at the Avengers Tower a few minutes before the others. Steve managed to find some paper and pens for drawing to hopefully keep Anna occupied for a while. He knew she would grow bored of that after a while but it was better than nothing. Natasha offered a tablet for Anna to play with and even downloaded a couple of games Anna could play. Steve really didn’t like the idea of keeping her occupied with video games but he didn’t protest. It was going to be a long day and she needed to do something with her time. 

Bruce Banner was the first to arrive after Steve and Nat. He walked into the room and saw the blonde little girl sitting at the table in the corner drawing. 

“Who’s the kid?” He asked. 

“Would you believe she’s mine?” Steve said. 

Banner looked at her again. “You were under the ice not so long ago...so how did you…?” He asked, a little confused. 

“Our military started another super soldier program. Decided to use my DNA. The program got terminated though and they left her to me.” Steve explained. 

“So she’s like a clone or a daughter?” Bruce asked, genuinely curious. 

“A daughter.” Steve said. 

“Does she have powers?” 

“They claim she does but honestly I haven’t seen any,” Steve admitted. 

“Well don’t you want to find out?” Bruce asked. 

“Not really. She’s not an experiment. At least she shouldn’t be.” 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that she was. Sometimes my curiosity gets the better of me.” Bruce said apologetically. He crossed the room and introduced himself to Anna. 

By the time most the others had arrived and been apprised of the situation, Anna was a little overwhelmed with all the new people and all the introductions. Soon after, the Avengers set to work with their normal training regimen. It didn’t take long for Anna to grow bored of drawing. She got up from her drawing table and wandered to the edge of the rubber matts in the open area and watched the Avengers sparring in pairs. At one point Thor knocked a weighted staff out of Nat’s hand and sent it flying across the room in Anna’s direction. Everyone in the room had a moment of panic as it seemed that the staff was going to hit Anna and hit her hard. But Anna reached up and caught the staff with hardly any effort at all. 

“That should have harmed her.” Thor said, after a moment of shocked silence. 

Anna got to her feet and tossed the staff back to them with as little effort as she had caught it. The throw was accurate and Thor caught the staff, still looking stunned that she had thrown it. 

“How did this human child throw a twelve pound staff across a room with one hand?” Thor asked no one in particular. 

“She has super strength,” Nat replied. “At least that’s what Steve’s letter from the military said.” 

“Then why is she not training as well?” Thor asked. 

“Because she’s not a soldier, she’s just a kid,” Steve answered. 

“I like training,” Anna spoke up. “I did lots of training back at the base. I like it…” 

“If she enjoys such sport, why not allow her to join us?” Thor asked. 

Steve looked hesitant. “I guess it couldn’t hurt,” He said after a moment. 

A huge grin spread across Anna’s face at those words. After that, Anna spent most of the day training alongside the others. She was indeed strong and fast. So much so that she was able to leave a bruise on Clint when she landed a blow on him in a match. Anna saw the bruise forming and stepped back with a gasp, ending the fight. 

“I’m sorry,” She said, worriedly. “I’m sorry...I didn’t meant to…” 

“No, it’s alright,” Clint said rubbing his bruised cheekbone. “I’ve had plenty worse.” 

Though Clint was truly not the least bit upset about the bruise, the sight of it seemed to worry Anna enough that she ran out of the room for the bathroom. 

Steve took a couple of steps as if to go after her, then stopped, unsure. 

“I’ll go get her,” Natasha said. Natasha had been trained to be a soldier as a kid herself. She probably knew better how to handle this than he did. Steve let her go. 

*******************************  
Three weeks later Steve and Anna had fallen into a routine. Anna like routines. They seemed to bring her comfort so Steve was perfectly willing to accommodate that. They had specific times for meals, training, and free time. Anna still operated in military time and still tended to fall back on calling people sir but she was also beginning to relax a little and be okay with the lack of orders in her routine. 

It was late one evening and Anna had already given Steve a hug goodnight and gone to bed in her room, the room that had been his office. He had nearly fallen asleep watching TV when he was startled by the sound of Anna crying. She hadn’t really cried since that day she melted down just after her arrival. He wasn’t sure why she was crying now. Steve went to her room and found her curled up under her blankets, sobbing as she had done before. This time he didn’t ask her if she wanted a hug. He didn’t need to. He sat down on her bed and pulled her onto his lap and hugged her warmly. 

“What’s the matter? What’s got you awake crying?” He asked her gently. 

“I had a bad dream.” She whispered. 

“What sort of a bad dream?” He wondered if she dreamed about being alone or just about monsters like most kids. 

“I dreamed they brought the needles again…” She sniffled. 

The needles? It took him a moment to understand what she was talking about and then it all made sense. “You’re talking about the serum? The formula they used to make you strong?” 

Anna nodded, holding onto him a little tighter. 

“You were awake for that?” Steve asked, not even needing her to answer. If she had nightmares about that, she had been awake. For some reason he had assumed that given how many years had passed since his own procedure and given that she was a child, they would have used anesthetic. But anesthetic had been available back when he’d had it done and Dr Erskine had believed it was better not to use it. 

“I was awake,” She whimpered. 

Steve found himself holding her a little tighter. He was filled with anger. At this point, he had very nearly accepted what had been done to Anna. He still didn’t like it, in fact her hated it, but he had accepted that perhaps no one had intended to be malicious in the way she had been raised. But this…? That anyone could use that serum on an awake child, a four year old child according to her records...it made him more furious than he had ever been in his life. 

“No one will come near you with those needles again. You know that right?” He found himself telling her. 

“I know,” She nodded. “I just don’t like to remember…” 

Steve stayed with her until she fell back asleep and then he tucked her into bed for the night. 

********************

Two days later Steve and Anna were in the Avengers tower for an ordinary work day. Jarvis voice interrupted the normal rounds of sparring. 

“Mr Stark, there is a General Peterson at the door requesting to come up and see Captain Rogers?” Jarvis said. 

Steve dropped his shield to the floor, feeling sick. 

“No…” Anna burst into tears. She turned and ran from the room. 

Steve went after her and caught her before she made it out the door. Anna was screaming and struggling to get away from him. “Anna stop, you don’t have to hide,” He told her as she continued to struggle. “You don’t have to run away. I’m not going to let him take you.” Anna stopped struggling and broke down crying. Steve picked her up and hugged her. “Listen to me,” he told her through her sobs. “I will not allow General Peterson to take you away. I don’t care what orders he gives me. He’s not taking you. Not ever. If that means we have to go live on Asgard then that’s what we’ll do.” 

“I will take you there myself should you require it,” Thor agreed. 

Steve gave her half a minute longer to calm herself and then he set her down on her feet. “I’m gonna go downstairs and talk to General Peterson. I want you to stay with Thor until I come back. He’ll keep you safe.” Steve looked to Thor who nodded, understanding the implications of that statement. It was up to Thor to fly Anna far away from anyone who might try to take her should Steve get arrested. 

“Rogers hold up,” Tony called out as Steve neared the elevator doors. “I’m gonna turn on the security cameras and broadcast live everything he says down there. I’m pretty sure the American people aren’t gonna want to see Captain America’s daughter being taken away from him. I think that might influence the General just a little bit.” 

“Thanks Stark,” Steve said and continued on to the elevator. 

General Peterson was waiting in the lobby along with an attache of several military personnel. He smiled on seeing Steve get off the elevator. 

“Captain Rogers, it’s good to see you. I have good news,” The older man said jovially. 

“Good afternoon Sir,” Steve said. “What news would that be?” 

“It isn’t in place yet, but in thirty days we will have funding to continue the SSP2 program. I honestly wasn’t expecting such a turn of events but Senator Kelly has been very helpful with this entire endeavor. In any case, Anna will need to return to the base next month. We won’t burden you with her any longer.” 

“She isn’t a burden,” Steve said, biting back his anger. “Actually she has been quite the opposite Sir.” 

The general looked offended. “So what is you want Rogers? More money to let her go? I thought you were better than that. Besides, I’m afraid that the program doesn’t have any more money to give. I’ll send official orders by mail at the end of the week.” 

“I don’t want money. In fact I’ll gladly give back all that’s been sent to me already. I never even cashed the checks. What I want is for that little girl to stay with her family where she belongs.” 

“That child is a ward of the United States Military. We have been kind to her. She’s had round the clock care, food, clothing, shelter, and no one has harmed her. Rogers you will follow orders and send her back,” The general said firmly, “Or disciplinary action will be taken.” 

“The United States Military can’t own a child.” Steve said, in spite of knowing how deep he was getting in by arguing with a general. This general seemed to be rather informal but he would only tolerate this behavior for so long. “Anna is MY child and she doesn’t want to go with you.” 

“If that child is not back on base next month as ordered, you will undergo court martial. Is that understood?” 

“Yes sir.” Steve said as he watched the general and his men walk out the door. 

Within a few hours, footage of what happened in the lobby was playing on every news channel. No one wanted Captain America to lose his child. No one wanted a child to be a ward of the Military. Senators and congressmen were getting involved. Television people were calling for interviews. Steve ignored most of the requests. He didn’t want to go on TV. 

Late that evening while he was making dinner, Anna sat in front of the TV watching the news. 

“Look, it’s Captain Davis!” Anna called out. 

Steve left the kitchen to go see what Davis might say. 

“So Captain Davis, you were one of the caregivers to Anna Rogers? What can you tell us about how she was treated while living on the military base?” The news person asked him. 

“I would say that overall, General Peterson’s statement that Anna was treated well, was correct. But being treated well isn’t always enough.” Davis said. 

“Could you explain what you mean by that please?” 

“I was assigned to Anna for four months. I dropped her off at school in the morning and picked her up again after school, helped with her homework, and brought her to supper before the night shift came on duty. That little girl was hurting from a lack of consistent caregivers and from a lack of normal family affection...I took Anna to school one morning and my own daughter Chloe happened to see me dropping Anna off. Chloe came running over and gave me a hug. Anna watched her do that… and I have never seen such saddness on a kid’s face as I saw in that moment. She was perfectly aware that other kids had homes, had moms and dads who loved them, and she didn’t get to have any of that. Doesn’t matter how well she was treated in that base, Anna Rogers should stay exactly where she is.” Davis said. 

“So you’ve met Captain Rogers? You believe he is treating her well?” 

“I only met him briefly, but I do know that he served his country well and if he’s willing to disobey orders to keep Anna off that base, he definitely cares about her.” 

“Captain Davis, are you going to be in trouble with your superiors for expressing the opinion that General Peterson is wrong?” 

“Anyone can have an opinion. I haven’t disobeyed any orders. And believe me, there were times I wanted to.” Davis said sadly. 

“In relation to Anna? Tell us about that?” 

“When the SSP2 Program was terminated, someone decided that the most cost effective way to transfer Anna’s care to Captain Rogers was to simply fly her out and drop her off all in one trip. Now I thought that might be frightening for a little girl of seven to be dropped off with a stranger and left there. I offered to take her there myself on my own dime and stay in the city for a few days while she made the transition. I put in a formal request to do that. My request was denied. I seriously considered not following orders in that case…” 

“That must have been very difficult for you to say goodbye to her then?” 

Davis looked down at his feet. “I didn’t say goodbye. I couldn’t do it. I’ll always regret that.” 

Anna got up from the living room and went to get her blanket, the blanket she always wrapped herself in when she was going to cry. Steve didn’t let her cry alone. He sat with her on the couch and hugged her while the news played a while longer. 

At the end of the week, the Avengers were back at work and all trying not to think about the unresolved situation with Anna. There was still another ten days before she was due back at the base. Everyone was trying to keep busy working when Jarvis interrupted them again. 

“There is Captain Davis in the lobby here to see Captain Rogers and Anna,” Jarvis said. 

“Send him up,” Steve said. 

Anna clung to Steve’s hand as the elevator doors opened and Davis stepped out. “Captain Rogers,” He said in greeting. “I’m here with good news.” He crossed the room and handed Steve an envelope. “General Peterson is ending the program and releasing Anna to your permanent custody. There was too much media pressure.” 

Steve took the letter and read it, finding it all to be true. “Thank you,” He said simply. 

Captain Davis turned to Anna. “I can’t stay long, but I can’t leave this time without saying goodbye.” 

“It wasn’t very nice of you to do that last time,” She said, still a little hurt. 

“You’re right it wasn’t. I was just afraid I might cry in front of Major Howard. I don’t care this time.” Davis knelt down to Anna’s level. She let go of Steve’s hand and stepped forward and hugged him. Davis didn’t stay long. He said goodbye to Anna and he went to the elevator doors and left. 

“Are you okay?” Steve asked her as the doors closed. “It must be hard for you to see him go again.” 

Anna nodded. “I’m okay. He has to go home. Chloe needs him. I don’t though, I have you.”


End file.
